Alex Rodriguez on Robinson Cano's PED suspension: 'It will be a long road back'

Since Robinson Cano’s 80-game suspension for using a banned substance, people have been waiting to find out what Alex Rodriguez has to say about it. And not just because Cano and Rodriguez are friends and former teammates — A-Rod is one of the more famous PED users in recent memory. What could he be thinking now that both he and Cano have been popped for banned substances? We finally found out on Sunday.

A-Rod was in the booth for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Houston Astros, and play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian asked Rodriguez for his thoughts on Cano’s suspension. And A-Rod was honest about his trepidation up front, saying that it was “a tough one for me because I do love Robbie.” A-Rod and Cano were teammates on the New York Yankees from 2005 to 2013, which is when Cano signed with the Seattle Mariners.

But after that caveat, A-Rod opened up and told Vasgersian and the entire Sunday Night Baseball audience his thoughts on Cano’s suspension.

“I do know that it will be a long road back, a tough road back, but I’m confident that Robinson Cano is going to come back and continue his spectacular career and I hope at the same time he can learn a great lesson and make his life even better.”

No one knows how difficult the road back from a PED suspension can be quite like A-Rod. He was suspended 162 games and sat out the entire 2014 season for his role in the Biogenesis scandal. He played in 2015 and part of 2016 before retiring, and since then he’s been open and honest about his past PED usage, calling himself “a big jerk” and “stupid” for using. Post-retirement, he’s become an analyst for Fox Sports, he’s part of the Sunday Night Baseball crew with Vasgersian and Jessica Mendoza, and he’s been dating Jennifer Lopez. That’s a heckuva comeback.

Cano probably won’t exactly follow A-Rod’s path on the comeback trail, especially since Jennifer Lopez is already taken. But the humility and humor A-Rod has shown since his retirement is what’s helping him overcome his past. If there’s anything Cano can learn from A-Rod’s journey, it’s definitely that.